Union warns Glasgow Airport strikes could hit summer holidays

Holidaymakers have been warned of the potential for strike action at Glasgow Airport over the summer as more than 800 workers from five companies are involved in pay disputes.

Unite the union said workers at Glasgow Airport Ltd, ICTS Central Search, Swissport, Menzies Aviation and Falck could be balloted for walkouts.

The union said that if there is no successful resolution to the disputes in the coming days, it will move towards holding votes on industrial action within two weeks.

It warned strikes could “ground planes and passengers”.

More than 100 Swissport workers are locked in a dispute about rotas and work-life balance, according to Unite.

It said the company “is demanding that workers at extreme short notice have to work shifts at various times and for various durations, which is directly impacting on their personal lives”.

Unite said some Swissport staff are “struggling with chronic fatigue”, and walkouts could be held from the middle of July, should members vote for industrial action.

A spokesperson for Swissport said: “We are in dialogue with Unite – the talks so far have been constructive and we remain focused on working together to address the issues being raised.”

The disruption warning from Unite covers a number of separate disputes between workers across five companies operating at the airport:

• 250 ICTS Central Search workers, who deal with passengers directly in the security search area and process them for flights, are currently involved in a dispute over under-staffing, working conditions and pay

• 120 workers employed by Glasgow Airport Limited have rejected a basic 3.6% pay increase, with staff including airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers involved

• The same 3.6% pay increase was rejected by 50 Falck firefighters who perform fire safety functions at the airport

• 300 Menzies Aviation workers, including dispatchers, allocators, airside agents and controllers, have rejected a basic uplift worth around 4.25%

According to the union, all of these disputes have been going on for some time.

Unite’s Pat Mcilvogue told BBC Scotland News that talks with the five employers have been ongoing “for months” but claimed they had tabled “frivolous” offers that are below inflation.

“It’s not just about the pay, it’s about the conditions, the working environment,” he said.

“Our members are overstretched in the airport, suffer from fatigue.

“There’s poor rostering, there’s poor organisation of work, staffing levels are low.”

He urged the companies to get round the table with Unite this week and to “table meaningful offers”.

Mr Mcilvogue added: “Let’s work with Unite to avoid any disruption for the travelling public in July.

“We’ve got more than a month to fix this before any potential action takes place.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the companies involved “are all highly profitable and can easily afford to give our members better pay and working conditions.”

A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: “We have ongoing dialogue with Unite regarding a pay deal for our direct workforce.”

Phil Lloyd, senior vice president UK at Menzies Aviation, said the company was committed to seeking a resolution and had made “an enhanced offer”.

He added: “We hope to reach an agreement which is workable for both the business and our employees at Glasgow airport.

“We continue to work towards an agreeable solution to protect services for our airline and airport partners and their customers.”

Falck and ICTS Central Search have been approached for comment.